The Faculty of Law at Université de Montréal was officially founded in 1892. It has consistently been in first position in the Canadian civil law schools rankings in Maclean's until 2010. In addition to its civil law degree (LL.B.), the Law School offers a one-year J.D. in common law for Quebec civil law graduates that enables them to take the bar exam in other Canadian provinces and in New York.

Combining civil and common law in a uniquely bijural environment, the education provided at the Faculty of Law seeks to make students proficient in both Western legal traditions. UdeM Faculty of Law is also bilingual. The languages of instruction are French for the LL.B. and English for the J.D.

History

The Faculty was originally a branch of Québec City's Université Laval in Montréal. It became part of the Université de Montréal upon its foundation in 1920. Between 1895 and 1942, the Faculty was located on St. Denis St. in Montréal. In 1945, it moved to Mount-Royal and was relocated in 1968 to its current location, which became the Pavillon Maximilien-Caron in 1978 in honour of a famous jurist who influenced an entire generation of law professors and students. One of the first full-time law professor in Quebec, Maximillien Caron promoted a reform in the teaching of law that integrated all aspects of life and instituted new pedagogical methods that included sociology, economics and politics. Since the graduation of its first class in 1879, the Faculty has trained the largest number of jurists in Canada. Indeed, approximately 15,000 students have obtained an undergraduate law degree from the Faculty. Graduates from the Faculty of Law are renowned in their province, country and internationally. Alumni and professors have been, and still are, pioneers in many fields of law, such as indigenous law, cyberspace law and business law. They have greatly contributed to Quebec and Canadian society as jurists, politicians, business persons and artists.